Damaged Goods
by chickennugger
Summary: Murdoc's a bad guy with a bad past. Everyone knows it. But don't bad guys have feelings too? 2D/Murdoc. Rated M for swearing and sex.
1. Chapter 1

Murdoc Niccals was quite possibly the worst person on the entire planet. It was a fact. If someone approached him, they would first see his thick black fringe, greenish skin, and inverted cross necklace. If they looked further, they would notice the strangely pointed teeth, the mismatched eyes, and the crooked nose, courtesy of the various times it had been broken.

He was a slob. He left dirty underwear and t-shirts scattered all over the house. His personal hygiene needed some serious help. The only thing he loved more than Satan was alcohol. Or women. Either one.

He was literally, honestly evil. He was the reason poor Stuart Pot turned into a black-eyed dunce. He kidnapped musicians and so-called "friends" and forced them to perform for the making of his album Plastic Beach. (If you didn't hear about that before, well... the more you know.) He tricked, lied to and manipulated everyone around him. He brought a different girl home practically every night, just to throw her out wearing nothing more than a towel. Sometimes less.

Murdoc Niccals was quite possibly the worst person on the entire planet.

* * *

"'ey Muds, wot d'you think o' this one?" A warbly, Cockney accented voice filled the air, followed by a short melody from a keyboard.

The bassist rolled his eyes, resting a hand on his cheek. "I wanted something with a bit more depth."

2D wilted like a flower that had just been trampled on with a Cuban-heeled boot.

"But-"

"Listen, your playing isn't the problem," Murdoc said, strumming a note on El Diablo. "It's the tune. This is too, y'know, light. It's too flouncy." Seeing the look on 2D's face, he stopped. "But, eh, we've been working for hours. We should take a break."

The fridge door rattled with the sound of clinking liquor bottles.

Murdoc pulled out two beers, handed one to 2D, and sat sprawled at the kitchen table.

2D stretched his long arms and sighed. "Where's Noodle an' Russel?"

He shrugged and took a drink from his beer. "I dunno. Out. They left this morning to get milk."

2D squinted. "This morning? It's almost four."

"How the hell should I know where they are? It's not my job to look after everyone in this bleedin' house."

"Maybe they got kidnapped," 2D mused. "And they need our 'elp!"

Murdoc rolled his eyes.

"Or the zombies from Kong are back! An' they're takin' over the whole city!"

"The zombies are gone," he said. "Remember?"

"Murdoc," 2D chided, as if talking to a small child, "the undead never stay dead." He chuckled and went back to creating crazy scenarios, half talking to himself and half to his friend.

_Jesus_, Murdoc thought._ This kid never shuts up_. He finished his beer and got up. "Ah. Well, that was fun. Let's get back to work."

"But we just-" he protested.

"I said let's get back to work, dullard. Music doesn't write itself."

Pouting, 2D pushed his chair in and slunk up the stairs to his room. Crumpled-up papers and water bottles littered the floor. Murdoc's bass was laid down on the ground. 2D was careful not to trod on it. The last time he stepped on one of Murdoc's things, he got shoved in a cupboard. He shuddered at the thought of what would happen to him if he so much as touched his precious guitar.

Murdoc sat down and looked through the discarded papers. "Did we get anything at all?"

"Erm... no."

He scowled. "This is all rubbish. No wonder we haven't been able to put out anything new."

"I thought we were takin' a break from this stuff for a while, Murdoc?"

"Well we don't want people forgetting about us, do we?"

"It's hasn't been that long."

"It's been long enough. Come on, let's practice."

* * *

At seven o'clock, Russel and Noodle came home.

"TWO-DEEEEE!" Noodle shouted, running down the hallway and leaving Russel with the grocery bags. "MURDOC! WE'RE HOOOOME!" She scrambled up the stairs and went into 2D's room.

"2D?" She looked around and put a hand to her mouth, giggling. "What are you doing?"

He was asleep, with his face pressed against the wooden floor and his rump in the air. An acoustic guitar was laying on the ground next to him.

Noodle poked him with a finger. "Wake up."

He opened his eyes and jumped up like he had just been electrocuted. "Ah! Whasgoinon?"

"Hi, 2D. We're back. Where's Murdoc?"

The blue-haired man rubbed his eyes. "He went out a couple hours ago. He told me to keep working."

"Working on what?" Noodle peered at the messy jumble of broken lyrics and guitar chords on the piece of slightly crumpled paper laying next to the singer.

2D ran a hand through his now mussed up hair. "Oh, me an' Murdoc were just messing around... he wants ta make somethin' new."

"Like an album?"

"Yeah."

Noodle made a face. "I think we all just need to relax." She sighed. "He's always working on something."

"NOODS?" A voice yelled from downstairs.

"YEAH?"

"COME DOWN! I NEED YOUR HELP MAKING DINNER."

"OKAY. BE RIGHT THERE." She smiled. "You should change. Food's gonna be ready soon."

2D looked down at his wrinkled clothes. "Okay." He put on a clean shirt, along with a new pair of jeans.

Russel and Noodle were making spaghetti.

"What do you think would happen if you put the sauce in first?" Noodle examined the cardboard box of pasta. "It probably wouldn't cook as well, huh?"

Russel grunted. He had been stuck with the grocery shopping _yet again_, and to make things worse, on their way back home they had encountered a group of fangirls. The two had barely escaped, leaving behind Russel's jacket and a handful of hair clips that had been yanked painfully from Noodle's head.

The guitarist set the table and put the pot of spaghetti down. "DINNER'S READY!"

2D came into the kitchen and sat down with his bandmates. "Hey, thanks for cookin' dinner," he said through a mouthful of pasta. "This is really good."

Noodle grinned. "Thank you!"

"Oh, I meant to ask. What took you guys so long? I thought you were just gettin' milk."

"Noods dragged me to see this movie," Russel said. "Said she wouldn't leave without seeing it."

Noodle shrugged. "It was a spy movie. Come on, Russel. Didn't you like it too?"

He smiled. "Yeah, it was pretty good."

Dinner was peaceful and cozy until the front door flew open. A very drunk Murdoc stumbled his way into the kitchen and leaned against the counter, a half-empty bottle of booze in his hand.

"Hello, friends," he slurred, taking a swig from his bottle. "How's it hangin'?" You could smell the alcohol fumes from across the room.

"Murdoc?" Noodle said quietly.

"Yes, m'dear?" He chuckled at himself.

"Are you all right? Do you need one of us to-"

"No, no! I am absolutely lovely. No need to worry your little head about me." He smiled and patted her hair.

"I think you've had enough," she said, gently removing the bottle from his hands. Murdoc glowered at her and yanked it back.

"And I think," he said, "you need to_ piss off_." He took another drink.

"Murdoc, put it down." Russel's voice was soft. The bassist's bandmates had dealt with plenty of his drunk tantrums before.

Jaw clenched, he glared at him and threw the bottle at the wall. It shattered with a loud crash, leaving glass shards on the floor and liquid splashed on the white paint.

"Fuck you." He turned and left down the hallway.

Russel and Noodle exchanged glances.

"I'll get 'im," 2D said.

He followed Murdoc until they got to the top of the stairs.

"Oi, what are you doin'?"

Murdoc looked behind his shoulder at the blue-haired man. "Jesus. What do you want now? Sod off."

"Are you okay?"

He scoffed. "And why the bloody hell should you care if I was okay?"

2D blinked. "I'm your friend! We're your friends! Me, Russ, Noodle, we all care about you!"

"Bullshit."

"No! You mean something to us, Murdoc. Don't do this to yourself."

"Well you don't mean anything to me," Murdoc spat venomously.

2D was silent for a couple seconds.

"B-but what about that day on Plastic Beach," he stuttered. "I thought we-"

Murdoc spun around and grabbed the front of 2D's shirt, pressing him up against the wall. Bicolored eyes drilled into black ones. 2D could feel the bassist's hot breath on his neck. He was very, very scared now. He knew Murdoc, and this wasn't like any other time he had beat on him. That was usually just for fun. And he was quite good at it too, but he looked for any chance he could get to improve. 2D spilling something on the couch could be an excuse to punch him in the stomach.

"_I told you never to mention that. EVER. Do you understand me?_" The words were low and shaky with rage.

Now there was something in his expression that was angry. Resentful. But when he let go of the his shirt and ran off (to 2D's surprise), he looked almost... scared.

2D stood in the hallway._ That day on Plastic Beach..._

_Murdoc was feeding his fish in the study when he heard a bloodcurdling scream._

_"Oh, for the love of sweet Satan... what is that boy doing down there?" He made his way to 2D's room, sighing heavily as he came in. "WHAT is it?"_

_The singer was perched at the edge of his mattress, shivering in fear. His hands were over his eyes. "T-t-the whale," he whispered, pointing to the underwater window. A great big whale was swimming around, looking in through the window every so often. Of course, Murdoc knew about the whale. He had paid it to keep an eye on 2D so he wouldn't get any ideas about running off._

_Murdoc closed the window's curtains._

_2D peeked through his fingers. "Is it gone?"_

_"Yes," he said impatiently. "Was there anything else or were you just screaming for the sake of it?"_

_2D looked at the foot of his bed in shame. "No. Sorry."_

_Murdoc surveyed the younger man. He looked miserable, like he always did here, wearing one of his signature graphic tees and a pair of cutoffs. He gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. He drew his arms tighter around himself._

_Maybe hiring the whale was too much..._

_Murdoc kept staring him. He didn't know why, but sometimes there was this thing you could see when you looked at 2D. It was a kind of innocence, like the kind you would see on the face of a little kid._

_Suddenly he found himself leaning over the bed, close enough to gaze right into those endless black orbs of his._

_"Murdoc? What are you-"_

_He kissed him hard, then pulled back._

_2D gaped at him. "Wot the 'ell?"_

_Murdoc pinned him down on the mattress, grinning greedily. Now he was under his command._

_2D was now very confused and somewhat frightened. He had never done anything like this before, and was pretty sure Murdoc hadn't either._

_"I just realized," the bassist said in a gravelly voice, still hovering over the man, "how long it's been since we touched anybody. Time flies here. Are you saying you haven't felt lonely at all during these long months?"_

_He was right. It had been a long time since 2D had felt the warm embrace of a friend or the pressure of lips against his own. He hadn't given it much thought, but now he felt himself itching to have skin on skin contact. This island was driving him mad._

_"So," Murdoc said, tickling his ear with hushed whispers. "what do you say?"_

_2D gave a stiff nod. He needed something to distract him from this pink plastic nightmare._

_A pair of lips crashed against his, fighting for dominance, which wasn't a hard battle. That long tongue made its way into 2D's mouth. Murdoc tasted like hard alcohol and one too many cigarettes, but now 2D understood how all the girls found him so irresistible. He was cocky. He was experienced. He was... sexy, in that dark, mysterious way with his I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude._

_2D would never admit this to anyone, but he had pondered what sex with Murdoc would be like before. He thought of those long guitar-plucking fingers and how he would use them like weapons against his lovers, those sharp teeth which could easily draw blood and leave a hell of a hickey, even his pimpled green arse could be used to his advantage somehow._

_Murdoc pressed his body close to 2D's, hissing slightly against his mouth as the pianist's nimble fingers accidentally wandered near his crotch._

_"This needs to be off," Murdoc said in a raspy voice, pulling the shirt over 2D's spiky azure hair._

_"Ow," he mumbled. "That hur- AH..."_

_Murdoc ground his hips into the other man's, eliciting a soft moan from his partner. The Satanist kissed and nipped his way up 2D's chest and neck then paused when he got to a particular spot which seemed to make him mewl like a kitten. He bit it gently, then harder when he heard another satisfying moan. He growled and increased his speed, leaving little love bites all over his neck and shoulders. He looked down at his work._

_2D, usually neutral-expressioned and pale as a ghost, was now panting heavily with a lustful look in his eyes and a thin sheen of sweat on his flushed skin. His hands were gripping the bedsheets like he wanted to tear them apart. The bitten areas on his shaking body were sure to be red and sore the next morning, but now they felt like heaven._

_Murdoc thought he looked sort of beautiful like this. He wanted to remember how he looked before he shagged his brains out. But now all he wanted was to fulfill one of his most primal needs._

_They resumed grinding, desperate to get closer to experience that delicious friction again. Murdoc grunted, feeling the growing hardness in the singer's pants. 2D blushed, but quickly forgot about being embarrassed._

_Murdoc slowed his rotating pelvis when he thought he couldn't take it anymore._

_"W-why'd you stop?" 2D asked breathlessly. Murdoc could almost hear the whine in his voice._

_"Now it's time for the fun part." He smiled, his pointed teeth reminding 2D of the sharks that lived in the water surrounding his room._


	2. Chapter 2

2D sat on his bed. Reminiscing about the incident probably wasn't the best idea since Murdoc had just screamed at him, but he couldn't help it. It was an unforgettable experience. 2D had no idea he could feel this good, and Murdoc had showed him exactly how.

Lost in his thoughts, he almost didn't hear the crashing and banging sounds coming from Murdoc's room.

He knocked on his door and tentatively came in. The room itself was disgusting, and the drunk man was throwing things around aimlessly; a microphone stand, a woman's bra, a book. ("How To Speak Fluent Japanese In 30 Days Or Less!")

"What are you doing?" 2D went over to him.

Murdoc now had a lamp in his tightly clenched hands.

He took it from him and put it down on the floor. "It's all right. Relax."

Murdoc responded by punching and then shoving him, hard, sending the skinny boy flying into the wall.

2D coughed, dizzy from hitting his head. Of course, it wasn't the first time his cranium had taken a beating, but it still hurt. He felt something sticky trickle down the side of his face. After reaching up and touching it with a finger, he saw that it was blood.

Murdoc's eyes were glassy. He seemed to realize what he'd done and sat on his bed with his head in his hands.

"Sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

2D stayed on the floor, unmoving. He then noticed that Murdoc, the king of Gorillaz, the evil mastermind and biggest douchebag in the history of ever, was crying.

He got up and sat next to him, putting a hand on his back. He was never good with words, but his reassuring touch seemed to be enough.

"I'm a fucking mess," Murdoc said.

"Nah. We all got our bad days."

"Look at me, 2D." The first time in a long time he called him that instead of some degrading nickname. "This isn't just a bad day... it's a bad week. It's a bad year. Hell, it's just a bad life. I don't know how I can live like this. It's a fucking mystery."

The singer stared at the man. His hands were digging into his scalp, mouth trembling slightly. He looked sad. Broken. 2D always thought of Murdoc as tough, unfeeling, somebody who doesn't take shit from no one. Now it looked like he would fall apart at the smallest sound or touch.

"I s'pose this is all 'cause of my dad... the way I turned out... y'know, well, I learned from the best," he said, sarcasm covering his steely tone.

"What did your dad do that was so bad?"

Murdoc gave a hollow laugh. "Imagine me. But worse. Which is pretty damn bad, huh?"

"You're not so bad," he said softly.

"Are you kidding me? I have so much shit going on in my life right now, I can't even keep track of it all. Everything I do now is because of that bastard. Sleeping around, drinking myself stupid, running cars into buildings, beating you..." His voice faltered at that last part. "I can't believe myself." He was crying again.

2D put his head into his lap and let him drip big fat tears onto his jeans. He stroked his hair. This would've been weird, especially if Murdoc had been even half-sober, but it didn't feel weird. It felt nice.

Murdoc hiccuped and looked up him with glazed, unfocused eyes. "2D, you're a saint."

2D felt his cheeks burn. "Oh... it's nothing..."

He leaned up to kiss him sloppily.

2D froze, heart stopping. _This is not supposed to happen. Why is this happening?_

"You're so hot," Murdoc chuckled, tracing the younger man's jawline.

He bit the inside of his cheek, hard enough to almost draw blood. "We're not... this isn't... that night was a mistake, you even said it yourself! Why are you...?"

He didn't get an answer. The bassist ignored his words and started attacking his neck with wet kisses, tugging on his shirt hem to pull it off.

"Y-you're drunk, Muds. You're real drunk. Please, don't do this." 2D nervously pulled down his shirt to keep his friend from stripping him.

As if he hadn't heard a word he said, he forcefully slammed him down on the bed and ripped off his pants, making him yelp.

_He's drunk, he's drunk, he's drunk,_ 2D thought, squeezing his eyes shut to avoid Murdoc's naughty expression._ None of this would be happening if I hadn't let him do this in the first place..._

He felt warm, smooth skin on his own and realized with a soft "_Oh, God_", that Murdoc was now completely naked.

_This is not going to happen,_ he screamed to himself._ I won't let it. I won't. I can't do this. Not again._

He cleared his throat. "Um, Murdoc? Could you, um, maybe get off of me?"

"Come on, pretty boy. Don't you wanna have a little fun?" He bit his earlobe playfully, but 2D knew what he was after. Just foreplay wouldn't do it for him.

"GET OFF," he attempted again, speaking louder.

"You don't mean that," Murdoc said in a low voice. "You didn't try to stop me last time. You like what I did to you, huh? By the kind of sounds that were coming out of your mouth, you looooved it." The drawn out "o" sound was exaggerated, just more proof of how intoxicated he was.

Murdoc reached into the singer's pants and with a sharp gasp, 2D finally gave in.

"Want me to talk dirty to you, 2D? Want me to drag my fingers through your hair and make you scream my name?"

_Oh, Jesus..._

2D melted like a popsicle on a hot summer's day, right into the clutches of Murdoc's pointy hands.

The next few hours were filled with hot panting and lots of skin, the soundtrack to their fun a chorus of breathy moans and shouts of "yes", "more", and "oh sWEET SATAN". It was the best music they had ever made together.

After one last cry of pleasure, the fun was over. Murdoc immediately passed out on his bed, leaving a recovering 2D sprawled on the floor, still shaky from the feeling of his release. He sat there for a couple minutes. He felt amazing, electric, buzzed, like he always felt after doing a show. But it was triple that. Then he felt sick to his stomach. He had just had sex with Murdoc. And it wasn't just sex, it was _mind-blowing sex._ He looked at the sleeping man and mentally smacked himself in the face.

_What have I done?_

2D felt like he was going to puke all over Murdoc's collection of vinyls.

_This is wrong, this wasn't supposed to happen at all... he told me not to tell anyone, the first time we... He said it was a mistake. Then why did he do this? If the first time was such a mistake, why did he do it again? What am I supposed to do? Hopefully he's too drunk to remember anything when he wakes up... _

_This never happened._

He kept staring at Murdoc. _What the HELL is it with you? How can you make me feel so bad and feel so good?_

The nausea still not going away, 2D grabbed his clothes and went out the door.

Murdoc wouldn't remember any of this in the morning.

Even if 2D did.


	3. Chapter 3

The whole house was woken up by a loud scream.  
And it wasn't just a scream. It was a screech, a sound so full of despair and hopelessness it made you want to curl up into a ball and cry. It rang through the flat, echoing off of the walls.  
2D was the first one to react. He jumped out of bed and ran toward the noise, eventually finding himself in the living room. Noodle was sobbing on the couch, bent over something in her lap. She was freaking out, which was completely unlike herself. Calm and collected was usually her thing. Now it was full-blown chaos.  
"Hey, hey, hey!" he said, going over to her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong, love?"  
Noodle cried harder. 2D was afraid the room would fill with tears and he would drown.  
"Would you _PLEASE_ keep it down over there?" Murdoc entered the room, rubbing his head and making his black hair stick up at odd angles. "Believe it or not, there are people tryin' to sleep!"  
Russel arrived not long after. He was worried, unlike Murdoc. "Noods, what happened?" Noodle gave a long shuddering sigh and revealed what was in her lap: her guitar.  
It was broken, to say the least. It looked like someone had smashed it with a hammer.  
"It's... your sodding guitar." Murdoc sighed very loudly. "We can get you a new one. Stop overreacting. For God's sake."  
"I CAN'T JUST GET A NEW ONE," she said in a voice somewhere between a yell and a sob.  
"Yes," he retorted. "You can. We get new equipment all the time."  
"I've had this guitar since I was small enough to fit in that damn FedEx crate," Noodle cried. "It's a part of me. What if we had to get rid of El Diablo, Murdoc? You would feel the same way."  
Murdoc shifted uncomfortably. "I'll.. see what I can do. Maybe we can get it fixed." He paused. "How did you get it so bashed up in the first place?"  
"I was just messing around," she said in a small voice, close to tears again. "I didn't mean to break it. It just sort of fell out the window."  
The Satanist snorted. "Right. It magically fell out the window and destroyed itself."  
"You think I did this on purpose?! This is the most important thing I've ever owned! Why the hell would I wreck it?"  
"Beats me. Anyway, I might know a guy who can help. Just don't do anything with it until I get it to him."  
Noodle gathered up the broken pieces of her guitar, set them on the couch, then sat down herself and sniffled.  
"Noods," 2D said comfortingly, tracing circles on her back to calm her down, "It's okay. We'll get all this sorted out."  
"Come on, baby girl." Russel took Noodle's hand and went into the kitchen to get some breakfast. In that moment, she didn't seem like an adult. She was acting like a child, and it was weirding Murdoc out.  
He scratched the back of his neck. "Kids, huh?"  
2D laughed uneasily.  
"I'm gonna take her after breakfast to get a new guitar. She can't throw a fit for that long." Murdoc chuckled. "But she has a point... if El Diablo somehow got smashed to bits, I'd be bloody furious too."  
2D smiled, but said nothing.  
"You okay, faceache? You seem a bit more spacey than usual."  
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine."  
"Well, that makes one of us. I guess I had one shot too many last night." He grimaced. "My head's killing me. Can I take some of your pills?"  
"Uh, yeah, sure." He quickly retrieved a bottle from his room, came back, and gave them to Murdoc, who was now laying on the couch with hand over his face.  
"Ahhhh," he said, taking the painkillers. "Thanks, mate."  
Well he was in a relatively good mood. As he went to get a glass of water, 2D couldn't help but wonder... were his suspicions correct? Was Murdoc completely oblivious to what happened the previous night?  
As the forty-something-year-old man downed the pills, it seemed so. Nothing seemed out of the norm. Noodle's freakout aside, it was a typical day for the band. On days like this, it was mostly video games and takeout food. Sometimes they would go walk around town for a change of scenery, but almost always would they get ambushed by fans. On other days, they watched movies together or listened to their music and commented on things and some days they just kept to themselves. When that happened, each member had their own things to do. Noodle played on her Gameboy or watched zombie flicks with 2D when he wasn't busy, Murdoc stayed in bed sleeping or going to bars or doing God knows what in his bedroom, Russel worked on his taxidermy or experimented with cooking new things, and 2D fiddled with his keyboards or his computer.  
Murdoc stretched. "Well, breakfast doesn't seem like such a bad idea after all." He sat down and took a plate, loading it with eggs and other goodies that Russel had prepared.  
Noodle picked at her bowl of cereal.  
"Hey, are you just going to stand there like a ponce?" Murdoc took a sip of coffee and waved his mug in front of his face. "Earth to 2D!"  
2D blinked, suddenly aware that he was frozen in the middle of the kitchen. Embarrassed, he took some toast and juice and ate silently.  
As soon as they finished, Murdoc got up and tapped Noodle on the shoulder. "Rrready to get out of here, love?" He smiled, trying to make the mood lighter, but her expression remained stony. "Okay, then," he said awkwardly. "Let's go. Get your guitar."

2D stayed in the kitchen to help Russel clean up the dishes.  
A couple minutes of comfortable silence passed, the two men up to their elbows in mountains of suds.  
A stray bubble floated up and landed on the blue-haired man's nose. He tried to look at it and sneezed, making it pop.  
"Hey, thanks for cleaning up with me, D."  
"No problem," he said cheerfully, scrubbing a plate with a sponge. There was a spot of jam that just would not get off, and it was starting to annoy him.  
"It's just, I don't know, man, it seems like I'm always the one in charge of all the cookin' and cleanin' all the time."  
2D couldn't really argue with that. He was right, lately all the chores had been put on Russel's shoulders.  
"I'm sorry, Russ. I don't think any of us realized we were takin' advantage of you."  
Russel chuckled. "You don't have to say it like that. But I appreciate the apology."  
"I'll try to make sure that we're more involved," 2D said, feeling accomplished as he finally rinsed the plate clean of jam.  
"Hey, you think Noodle's guitar's gonna be okay?"  
"I dunno... I sure hope so though. She seemed pretty upset about it."  
"How did she wreck it all by herself? I mean, it's kind of hard to throw a guitar out the window without meaning to."  
2D shrugged. "Maybe she'll tell us when she gets back?"  
"Yeah, maybe."  
After the dishes were cleaned and dried and put away, 2D went to his room. Meanwhile, Russel seized the rare opportunity to watch TV as Murdoc or Noodle usually hogged it. Either pornos, cartoons, or zombie movies were playing on a constant loop.

2D felt a knot of anxiety starting to grow in the pit of his stomach.  
Was it a good thing that Murdoc couldn't remember anything? That just meant less trouble for him, right? No explaining or apologies necessary.  
Of course 2D had had his fair share of one night stands ("Maybe too many," he thought with a sigh), but being the good-hearted person that he was, he couldn't help but feel... guilty. If it had been Murdoc in his place, he would definitely consider this a blessing. It was basically a free pass to shag someone without any strings attached.  
When the band was on hiatus a while ago, 2D got very familiar with his newfound fame. Girls flocked to the boy, making it easy for him to pick and choose and practice on whoever he wanted. (He doesn't know this, but there are around ten little blue-haired tots who belong to him, due to his lack of knowledge about, er, condoms and such.) He had always felt bad for leaving the next morning, but his friends taught him to brush it off and go find another girl. Now he felt bad again. And it wasn't because of a girl. It was because of a boy.  
2D laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling. _Why was this so hard? I should be able to just brush it off. Forget about it. It never happened. It's just like any other girl._  
But it isn't a girl, said a voice in 2D's head.  
_Gah! Who are you?_  
I'm the voice in your head, the voice said. Duh.  
_Huh? How long have you been in there? What are you doing?_  
I've been here since, well, forever, I guess. I'm here to help you not make a cock of yourself. Especially when it comes to the people you care about.  
_What are you trying to say, voice?_ 2D thought, annoyed. Who was this guy to tell him what to do?  
The voice sighed. You're a bit thick, aren't you?  
_Hey!_ 2D protested.  
Are you really this stupid? Ha. I guess I could've answered that myself. After all, I know everything about you.  
_Nuh uh! Prove it, Mr. Smarty Panties!_  
It's "Smarty Pants," genius. And I will. For an example, I know you favor chocolate over vanilla, you secretly think Paula Cracker is crap in bed, and you have a CD of girly pop songs hidden in your underwear drawer. Oh yeah, and you're also in love with Murdoc Niccals.  
2D made a strange strangled noise. Everything was true. Except for that last part... _unless_...  
The voice snickered. Told you, dummy.  
_Oh, my God. I... I'm in love with Murdoc._


	4. Chapter 4

_**hey guys! thank you so much for leaving your reviews and other feedback! it makes my day to see that people like my writing :) thanks a ton for your support! enjoy chapter**__**four!**_** xoxo**

* * *

The front door slammed shut.

"ThankyousomuchMurdocIknowyouwon'tregretthis..." Noodle babbled excitedly.  
"Yeah, I know," Murdoc drawled, but you could hear the smile in his voice. "Go on, try it out."  
2D lifted his head from the mattress. Whoa. He had fallen asleep. He sat up and winced as his right arm gave off an uncomfortable pins-and-needles feeling.  
Murdoc and Noodle were back from the guitar shop.

Another door, this one in the hallway, closed with a small creaking noise. Murdoc's door.  
One part of 2D wanted to hide under the covers and pretend nothing just happened, and another part screamed for him to go confess his undying love for the man. Like any sane person, he chose the first option. It was a while until 2D got up again. Noodle knocked on his door for lunch, but he said he wasn't hungry. The Japanese girl scolded him and told him to get down to the kitchen or else.  
With a groan, he heaved himself off of his bed and stood up. His back cracked, and his knees were wobbly. Rubbing his tired eyes, he went to the kitchen and sat down at the table, where Russel was watching their guitarist with an amused expression on his face. Noodle was running around the room, adding and mixing to their lunch, or at least what looked like it. She put down a dish of something on the table, humming as she did so.  
"Lasagna," she declared, gesturing to the food with a grin on her face.  
"Looks great," Russel said.  
Noodle beamed and then looked at the empty seat across from her. "Where's Murdoc?" Seeing as he wasn't here, she shouted his name, nearly blowing out her bandmates' eardrums.

A moment later, there were fast footsteps on the stairs and the bassist came flying into his seat, making Noodle laugh.  
"That quick enough for you, love?" He laughed with her.  
2D put some lasagna on his plate. Everyone seemed to be downright jolly today. What was his problem? Oh, yeah. He just found out he was in love with one of his best friends. Okay, maybe calling Murdoc his friend was stretching it, but what else would he refer to him as? They weren't enemies. At least not really.  
Russel was also somewhat confused at their happy demeaner . "What's up with you two? It's like you both snorted fairy dust this morning."  
Noodle giggled. "I'm just happy about my guitar! Did you see it, Russel? Oh, it's so cool!"  
"That ain't the only thing, is it?"  
"Um... I also... may have met someone," she said slyly.  
"Wait." Murdoc nearly spit out his mouthful of food. "What?"  
"It's that guy from the guitar shop." Noodle ducked her head, blushing.  
Losing his cool and his good mood very fast, Murdoc stared at her, wide-eyed. "You're telling me you're hooking up with that bloke who stocks the shelves?"  
"He's got a Fender Stratocaster," she said dreamily. "And he's left-handed, like me, so his guitar is too. I even got to play it."  
"Fuck," Murdoc said. "But he's old! He shouldn't even be talking to you!"  
"He's taking me out." She smiled. "To dinner and then this cool local bar near his house. There's a band playing tonight."  
"Noodle, if you haven't noticed, _we're_ a band! We play all the time! And Russel can cook! How about you just invite the boy over here?"  
Noodle narrowed her eyes. "You're just saying that so you can act like an asshole around him so he'll leave."  
"Why would I do that?"  
"Because you're Murdoc Niccals." She sighed. "Okay, I'll tell him to come over. But you can't do anything stupid or weird, got it?"  
"Of course."  
"Now shut up and eat your lunch."

2D still wrestled with the voice in his head. It was annoying as all hell, but it did have a point. He was in love with Murdoc Niccals, and there was no use denying it. The only problem now was how to tell him. Or if to tell him.

He heard a crash in the other room followed by a few choice swear words from I-think-you-can-guess-who.  
"FUCK. GOD FUCKING DAMNIT. SON OF A BITCH FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT-" There was another crash.  
2D hurried into Murdoc's room, where the man stood, seething, with a lit cigarette clamped in his mouth.  
"Everything okay in here?"  
Murdoc looked at him. "Of fucking course,_ you're here_."  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
"Nothing. What do you want?" He took a drag.  
"I just heard a loud noise and thought maybe something had happened."  
"I'm fucking great, okay? You can leave now."  
"You sure?"  
"2D, you are the stupidest dolt to ever live. If it wasn't for your voice, you'd be holding up signs for mattresses on the street."  
2D gulped. _Ouch. He was only trying to help._  
"I don't need your help," Murdoc said, stubbing out his cigarette.  
_Crap. He didn't mean to say that out loud._  
The Satanist stared at him for what seemed like hours.  
_Shit. Say something! Didn't you want to tell him? Say it, you idiot!_  
"His name's Robbie," he blurted out.  
"What?"  
"Noodle's boyfriend. His name is Robbie. After you left, she told us more about him."  
"And why the hell should I care?"  
"I just thought you might want to know."  
"Yeah, well, thinking isn't your strong suit."  
2D blinked and looked to the side. If this is what he got for caring...  
Murdoc coughed, realizing that he had gone too far. "Uh, y'know, actually there is something you could help me with. You see this shelf? It broke. Just fell right off the wall. Fix it."  
Eh, this was a start.

Twenty minutes and a sore right hand later, the shelf was finally up. 2D borrowed the hammer and nails from Russel, but wasn't the best at, well, aiming. Despite Murdoc's jabbers and jeers, his aim didn't get better. It seemed to make the poor boy nervous, which did not end well for his fingers. Almost every swing hit him, making Murdoc shake with laughter.

"You could thank me," 2D said in a mournful voice, rubbing his hand. "That was tedious."  
"You don't even know what word means," Murdoc snickered.  
"We had sex last night," 2D said quietly. He regretted saying it as soon as the words passed his lips.  
The room was quiet for a second. "...The fuck? What are you talking about?" His voice was cold.  
"You were drunk... throwing things around in your room and stuff..." 2D said. "I came in to check on you, and y-you, um, we, ended up..."  
"Like hell we did."  
"Why would I lie about this?"  
"I don't know, maybe because that's what you wanted to happen? Faggot. And now you're trying to convince me that we did the dirty. That's bullshit."  
"I can prove it," 2D whispered. "That lamp. On your bedside table. We knocked it over last night. There should be a crack in the side."  
Murdoc picked up the lamp, muttering under his breath. He inhaled sharply, looking at the line running down the side. "You're still a fucking liar. There's no way."  
"I didn't know if you remembered or not." 2D's hushed tones were almost sad. "It wouldn't make any difference if you did, though." He moved to leave, but Murdoc interrupted him.  
"And why is that?"  
"Because... it doesn't matter," 2D said. He exited the room.

Murdoc stood for a good ten minutes, staring at the broken lamp.  
He knew. Of course he knew. He didn't need 2D to tell him. From the moment he first woke up, last night's events played over and over in his head. Guess he wasn't as drunk as he thought he was. Rushing to the toilets, he splashed his face with cold water and looked up into his own shaking face. He had done it again. And he hadn't even meant to this time. What was wrong with him? Fuck. Everything was almost back to normal with 2D, and last night had to go and fuck it up.  
It wasn't hard to pretend that they hadn't done it, though. And if 2D told anyone, who would believe that stupid idiot anyway?  
Murdoc was the King of Lies, but when it came to that dull-headed boy, he found it a little bit harder to lie to him for some reason.

2D laid upside-down on his bed, staring at the wall. Since having told Murdoc, he felt less guilty. But the topic was still awkward and hard to talk about, and he doubted that they'd get to have a conversation about it. Even though he really needed to.  
"2D," came a voice from behind his door. "I need your help!"  
"Who is it?" was his bored reply.  
"Please! It's important!"  
"It's already open. Come in. Sheesh."  
Noodle came into the room, holding a mountain of clothes. She put them down on the ground.  
"Whoa. What's all this?" He flipped onto his stomach.  
"I need to find something to wear for tonight," Noodle said, practically wringing her hands.  
"And you choose to come to me for fashion advice?" 2D laughed at that.  
"Come on, Toochi. Help me here! What kinds of things do you like to see on a girl?"  
Nothing, he thought truthfully. He really didn't want to tell her that. But looking at her worried face, he thought about it and came up with another honest answer.  
"Confidence."  
"Huh?"  
"You have to be confident. Be proud. Don't be all humble and that nonsense. Show this Robbie who you are. A rough, tough, arse-kicking, adorable little Axe Princess." He smiled. "Wear whatever you wanna wear, Noodle. Something that's you."  
"Seriously? Was it really that simple?" Noodle humphed and picked up her clothes, going back into her room.  
2D shook his head. This was going to be an interesting night.


	5. Chapter 5

Robbie arrived at seven.

He showed up in a leather jacket, a pair of boots, and a sweet smile directed towards Noodle. He gave her a pink flower when he came in, blushing slightly under his messy flop of dark hair.

"Oh! Thanks," Noodle said. "Ready to meet the gang?"

Everyone was gathered in the kitchen. Russel was finishing up dinner, and the rest of the group were sitting at the table. Even Murdoc, who spent the afternoon quarreling with Noodle about what was considered "appropriate dinner wear." Apparently, just underwear didn't cut it.

"So Robbie," Noodle said, motioning to 2D, "this is-"

"2D!" Robbie said. "Yeah! I know all about you guys. You rock, man. Really great sound."

The singer grinned back at him. "Yeah, thanks, mate!"

"And this is-"

"Russel Hobbs," Robbie said, his face lighting up. "Your beats are sick!"

"Thanks, man." Russel came back to the table, putting the last of the food into place.

"Then I don't think you need an introduction to him," Noodle said, laughing.

"Murdoc Niccals!" Robbie beamed at him. "The mastermind of it all. You're brilliant!"

Murdoc grunted. Whether it was out of appreciation or disdain no one knew.

"I'm a huge fan," Robbie said. "When Noodle invited me over... oh, gosh. I freaked."

"It's really nice to meet you," 2D said. "Our little girl's told us a lot about you!"

Robbie gave Noodle a nervous smile. "Really?"

Her cheeks turned faintly pink.

"Dinner's ready," Russel said to break the awkward 2-second-long silence.

2D grinned when he saw what Noodle was wearing; a black shirt with a cat face on it, a short skirt, and a green army jacket, along with a couple of bracelets and a necklace. Nothing too fancy, but it definitely screamed Noodle.

Halfway through the meal, Murdoc jumped up seemingly out of nowhere and said, "So are we gonna do this or what?"

2D and Russel looked at each other, and Noodle just stared daggers at him.

"Come on! Russ? 2D? No?"

Robbie cocked his head to the side, puzzled. "Uh, what are we-"

Noodle shushed him. "Murdoc, I don't really-"

"No, no, I insist! It's for our guest! After all, our little girl didn't spend hours and hours planning this night for nothing!"

Noodle looked like she wanted to stuff her napkin in Murdoc's mouth.

"Noodle, what's going on?"

"They want to play for you."

"Really?" His eyes got wide. "For me? That would be bloody amazing!"

"Yeah," Murdoc said, smiling wickedly. He slung his bass around his shoulder. "Then what are we waiting for?"

"D, you in?"

2D nodded. "Yeah! Of course."

"Ah, ah, ah!" Murdoc said. "What would we be without our guitarist?"

Scowling, Noodle got up from the table and stood next to the other band members. She grabbed her new guitar, which Murdoc had been dangling obnoxiously in front of her.

"Any requests?" he purred to Robbie in a voice smooth as velvet.

"Kids With Guns?" Noodle's date prompted, spinning his chair around to better see the musicians.

"You got it."

The last chorus was sung, and Robbie applauded.

"That was incredible," he bubbled. "Noodle, I can't even believe how great you are on that guitar. Rocking job, guys."

"You should've seen Noodle when we made the music video for that song," Murdoc said. "She was damn tiny. And pretty cute, too."

Noodle opened her mouth to object, but was interrupted by a giggling fit, courtesy of their singer.

"Shut up, 2D," she snapped. "Can we just get on with it?"

2D cleared his throat. "Yeah, of course."

After playing DARE and Dirty Harry, they retired to the couch, where Noodle dished out bowls of ice cream for dessert.

She and Robbie were sitting together, their fingers wrapped around each other's hands. It was a sweet and not very noticeable gesture, but 2D and Russel spotted it quickly. Murdoc pretended not to see.

They talked for awhile about music and guitars and whatnot, and when the date was nearly over, Noodle kissed Robbie on the cheek and excused herself to use the bathroom.

"So," Murdoc said. It was the first time he had spoken during the dessert conversation. "Robbie. Do you think Noodle is attractive?"

"Murdoc!" Russel said loudly.

"What? Bloody hell. I'm just asking."

"Uh, I don't really know-" Robbie looked uncomfortable.

"Like, on a scale of one to ten," Murdoc said.

"I don't know, maybe a nine..."

"You are going out with her for her looks, right?"

"Well, no-"

"Oh, then you're after something else?" He elbowed him. "I gotcha, mate. Nice job. It's good to start early, know what I mean?"

"_Murdoc_," Russel growled.

"Relax, Russ. Just making small talk with the boy."

"I'm not after _that_," Robbie said, turning red. "I just think she's cool."

"Cool? Noodle? She's the opposite of cool, my friend."

"What do you mean?"

"She's, er, an interesting girl. She has tons of boyfriends. I mean, tons and tons. But you probably already knew that, right?"

"No, I didn't," Robbie said.

"MURDOC," Russel yelled.

"RUSSEL," he yelled back, "how about you and 2D go wash the dishes, eh?"

Seething, the drummer followed 2D into the kitchen.

"And if she has all those boyfriends, what do you think she does with 'em? Girl's gotta have fun somehow. And her interests... did you know she still watches those kiddie cartoons? The ones with the blasted ponies or whatever? Yeah. And she collects er, stamps... yeah, stamps. Loads of stamps."

Robbie looked like he was about to get up and run. "O-oh, really?"

"Yep. And let's not forget the Madison Square Garden incident. She got a bit tipsy before the show and well, hurled all over the front row. She's really irresponsible, that one. Jesus Christ."

"Oh my God."

"She should be back from the bathroom soon. Hey, what are you doing for your next date? It's always good to plan early."

"You know what?" Robbie got up from the couch. "Um, I don't think this is a good idea."

"Whatever do you mean, dear boy?"

"Me and Noodle... I don't think it's going to work out."

"Oh, darn!" Murdoc slapped his knee.

Robbie took his jacket. "Whatever. I was only dating her 'cause I would get to see you guys," he muttered under his breath.

"Sorry, what was that?"

He laughed. "You think I was actually going out with her? As if. God, she was easy. A few guitar riffs and she fell like a rock."

Murdoc stared at him. "Hey, Russ?"

"Yeah?" he called from the kitchen.

"I think we'll be needed you after all."

"Hey guys, sorry I took so long... The sink faucet broke. I stopped it with a bunch of towels. I think it's okay for now." Noodle walked into the living room, where three men stood in a line. Little did she know, not only two minutes ago had there been a full-blown fight going on in their living room. Well, a one-sided fight. Murdoc held Robbie back while Russel punched his lights out. It took 2D a while to understand the situation, but once he did, he joined Murdoc in yelling threats and profanities at the boy until his voice was hoarse.

"Is everything all right?" She looked around. "Where's Robbie?"

"He left," Murdoc said. "Had some sort of family emergency."

"That's very funny, Murdoc. Seriously, where is he? He wouldn't leave without saying goodbye."

"Noods, he isn't-" 2D reached for her, but she took a step backwards.

"No," she said. "You're lying! You said something, didn't you? You made him leave!"

"Noodle," Russel said. "There's something we need to-"

"I trusted you!" she shouted angrily. "I told you this was important to me! You weren't supposed to say anything! Murdoc, how could you?!" There were tears shining in her eyes.

"He was an ass, alright? It was for the best," Murdoc said.

"_Screw you_," she said in a choked voice and fled the room.

2D moved to follow her, but Russel stopped him.

"She needs space, man."

Murdoc stood in the same place, frozen.

"And you," Russel snarled, pointing a finger at him, "are in a world of trouble. Don't think you're off the hook." He sighed and went to the kitchen to finish up cleaning. 2D went after him.

Okay, so Murdoc had freaked Robbie out on purpose. He told him ridiculous lies about Noodle, and he felt like a complete knob for doing it, but it really did turn out for the best. If he hadn't said all those things, he wouldn't have realized Robbie was using Noodle to get free shows.

Now they just had to wait.


	6. Chapter 6

_**hey everybody! thanks for sticking with me this far! i'm sorry for updating so slowly. i've got a bit of writer's block and with school coming up, i'm probably going to be super busy, so don't expect the stories to come quickly. again, i really appreciate your support! thank you! xoxo**_

* * *

It had been an hour and a half.

Murdoc had gone to his room, feeling extremely guilty. Russel tried to talk to Noodle, but she wouldn't let him in her room.

2D, who had been watching a movie on his laptop, got up and knocked on the girl's door. Expecting the worst, he cringed, waiting for the screams to commence. But they didn't.

"Come in," said a weary-sounding voice.

2D opened the door and was greeted by a depressing love ballad about heartbreak turned up to full volume.

"Noodle?"

"I'm here," a large pile of blankets spoke.

He carefully lifted up each blanket layer until he finally saw a small tear-stained face.

"Can I tell you what happened?"

She shook her head and sniffled.

"I have to explain, love."

"There's nothing to explain," she said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. A streak of black went from the corner of her eye to the middle of her cheek. Only a date like this one would be special enough for Noodle to put on makeup.

2D sighed. "Yes, there is." He rubbed the mascara from her face with a tissue and threw it over his shoulder. "Robbie didn't have a family emergency. Murdoc lied."

"Really?" Ah, the sarcasm started young in this one.

"He also lied about some other things. He mighta sorta said stuff about you that made Robbie freak out and spill the beans about why he was really here."

"What do you mean 'why he was really here'?"

"Noods, he... was only here 'cause you're famous. He just wanted to see us perform. For free, I might add."

The girl looked down at her nest of blankets. "And what did Murdoc say about me?"

"Er... that you had a lot of boyfriends and you collected stamps and you got drunk and puked all over the crowd at the Madison Square Garden."

"That was him!" she said tearfully. "And how could he even think I had boyfriends? Robbie was my first."

2D paused. "Wait. Your first what?"

"Boyfriend." She sniffed again. "What did you think I meant?"

"Nothing."

"Pervert."

"Noodle! I'm just concerned about you." (Noodle scoffed at that.) "Uh, and if you and someone decide to, you know... make sure you have protection, okay?"

"You're a dirty pig, you know that? As if I would have sex with Robbie."

"Sorry. But how would I know? Maybe you had a good shag or two in that guitar shop."

Noodle shoved him, nearly toppling him off of the bed. "No way. And ew?" She buried herself back under the covers.

2D peeked inside her fort. "Looks pretty cozy in there."

"Mm-hm. It is."

"Do you mind if I-" he dove into the pile of pillows and blankets.

Noodle squealed, pushing him away with her hand. 2D laughed. "So are you okay?"

"I'm okay."

"Okay." He winked and kissed her on the forehead. "I'm gonna go talk to Murdoc."

"2D?"

"Yeah, love?"

"Thanks."

"No problem."

/

Next was going to be slightly harder. Not only did 2D have to make Murdoc apologize to their little girl, but he also had to talk to him about... things.

He stood by Murdoc's door. His fingers twitched with nervous energy. This wasn't going to be pretty. Almost immediately after knocking, the door opened. The bassist looked up at 2D.

"I knew you'd be around soon." He gestured for him to come in. "Want anything? Tea? I can make some cookies if you'd like."

"She's listening to Taylor Swift on repeat under like, three thousand layers of blankets," 2D said, irritated by his sarcastic demeanor. "Don't act like everything's okay, arsehole."

"So she's displaying normal symptoms of heartbreak," he said. "This is bad because?"

"She shouldn't be heartbroken at all," 2D snapped. "She should be out having fun and meeting people, like a young person should."

"And whose fault is that," Murdoc said, but not as a question.

"Yours!" He scowled at him. "If you hadn't said all those bloody stupid things, she would be fine!"

"I think you're forgetting something," Murdoc said nastily. "Robbie dear was using her to see us perform. If it hadn't been for me, our girl would've been in a one-sided relationship with someone who didn't even care about her. And do I get any thanks? No."

"You still need to say sorry," 2D said. "She's pretty angry with you."

"Angry. Huh. She does know I saved her, right?"

"She's barely an adult! Don't expect so much from her. Jesus. Robbie was her first boyfriend. This was really special to her."

Murdoc knew it, too. He felt terrible for ruining Noodle's first relationship, but the only thing left to do was fix things up between them. "All right. I'll apologize." He moved to go, but 2D stopped him.

"Uh, can we talk?"

Murdoc nearly had a heart attack. "Er... what about?"

"Well... I know you don't want to talk about this, but I think we need closure or something, because it's all I've been thinking about lately, and, um..."

_Shit. He knew where this was going._

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

"So we can talk about it?"

"Talk about what?"

Us... and you know, when we had-"

"Keep your fucking voice down," Murdoc hissed, clamping his hand over 2D's mouth. "You want Russ or somebody to hear us?"

2D shook his head the best he could with a hand covering his mouth.

Murdoc removed his hand and locked the door. "Fine. Talk."

He blinked. "Uh, I thought we needed like, closure or somefink... I don't know..."

Murdoc softened. Of course he needed closure. He had just made the poor boy have sex with him. Twice. _But to anyone else_, Murdoc thought,_ that would be a gift._

"I guess I'm jus' confused is all," 2D continued nervously. "I mean, the first time we did it, you told me never to speak of it. And then you go on and do again."

Murdoc on the outside looked calm and collected, but on the inside he was sweating up a storm and wondering how the hell he was going to explain this. "The first time, we were both there, alright? We hadn't had sex in months and we only had each other. So I guess that gives us an excuse for the first time. As for the second, like you told me, I was completely and utterly drunk and I didn't know what I was doing. My question, 2D, is why did you let me do it the second time?"

The blue-haired boy twiddled his thumbs, a red blush creeping up his neck. "O-oh, I, um, I don't know, really..."

Murdoc stared at him up close. "God," he finally said. "You really are a fag, aren't you?"

"What? No! No, I'm not a fag."

"You enjoyed it the first time. Enough to let me do it to you again. You weren't drunk at all though, -were you Stuart?- so that means you agreed to it all on your own."

"You did it too," 2D stammered.

"Yeah, but one, I was drunk, and two, I wasn't the one taking it.'

"So that fact that you're in back makes it okay?"

"You could say that."

"That's stupid."

"Your point?"

"Nothing. I guess we're good, huh?"

"Well, now you've got an explanation. So yeah. We're good."

"Okay. Oh, and you should go talk to Noodle. Like, right now."

"I'm going, I'm going," he grumbled. "Would you think getting an ice cream sundae would make it better?"

"I'm not hungry, but thanks-"

"I meant for Noodle, you idiot."

"Oh. Right."


End file.
